EP0965018A1 - Lighting unit - Google Patents
Lighting unitInfo
- Publication number
- EP0965018A1 EP0965018A1 EP97949914A EP97949914A EP0965018A1 EP 0965018 A1 EP0965018 A1 EP 0965018A1 EP 97949914 A EP97949914 A EP 97949914A EP 97949914 A EP97949914 A EP 97949914A EP 0965018 A1 EP0965018 A1 EP 0965018A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- waveguide plate
- light
- lighting unit
- coupled
- waveguide
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/0001—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems
- G02B6/0011—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems the light guides being planar or of plate-like form
- G02B6/0075—Arrangements of multiple light guides
- G02B6/0076—Stacked arrangements of multiple light guides of the same or different cross-sectional area
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/0001—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems
- G02B6/0011—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems the light guides being planar or of plate-like form
- G02B6/0033—Means for improving the coupling-out of light from the light guide
- G02B6/005—Means for improving the coupling-out of light from the light guide provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof, placed on the light output side of the light guide
- G02B6/0053—Prismatic sheet or layer; Brightness enhancement element, sheet or layer
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/0001—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems
- G02B6/0011—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems the light guides being planar or of plate-like form
- G02B6/0066—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems the light guides being planar or of plate-like form characterised by the light source being coupled to the light guide
- G02B6/0068—Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
Definitions
- the invention is based on a lighting unit according to the type of the independent claim.
- the lighting unit is already known from the unpublished German patent application with the file number 196 52 209.9.
- the lighting unit has a flat waveguide plate made of a transparent
- Plastic material is made.
- a cylindrical cold cathode lamp is attached to one end of the waveguide plate.
- the light emitted by the lamp is coupled into the optical waveguide via the front side by means of a reflector.
- Prisms are attached to the underside of the plate-shaped light guide, through which the light is reflected onto the upper surface of the plate-shaped light guide, where they strike at a relatively small angle of incidence. Due to the relatively small angle of incidence, total reflection is prevented and the light emerges.
- the lighting unit is preferably used in the construction of liquid crystal displays.
- a liquid crystal cell over the light exit surface of the Lighting unit attached.
- the liquid crystal cell consists of two glass plates, which are separated from each other by a thin gap. In this gap is the liquid crystal, which, depending on the voltage applied, has a different crystallographic order and the resulting optical properties.
- various foils or coatings are used in a liquid crystal display which change properties of the light emitted by the lighting unit, such as color, polarization or collimation.
- Such films and coatings are known, for example, from the application cited above.
- Liquid crystal cells are also increasingly used in the automotive field.
- a liquid crystal display is known, which is mounted in the center console and which is used both for displaying information from a navigation system and for
- the display according to the prior art has a fixed viewing angle dependency which is dependent on the design, so that the driver and the front passenger are offered the same information, for example.
- the lighting unit according to the invention with the characterizing features of the main claim has the advantage that it can be used to produce a liquid crystal display which can be individually optimized for several users who view the display from different angles.
- advantageous developments and improvements of the lighting unit specified in the independent claim are possible.
- the display in television mode can only be seen by the passenger, in display mode for technical parameters only by the driver, and in navigation mode for both.
- the waveguide plate which is further away from the liquid crystal cell, with stronger or more lamps, since the light emitted by this waveguide plate must first pass through the other waveguide plate and is partially absorbed in the process, i.e. for the illumination of the Liquid crystal cell is lost.
- FIG. 1 shows a lighting unit according to the invention
- FIG. 2 shows a cross section through the lighting unit from FIG. 1.
- FIG. 3 shows a detail from a cross section through a waveguide plate.
- FIG. 1 shows a lighting unit according to the invention in supervision.
- the lighting unit has a second waveguide plate 15, which is made of a transparent material, for example plexiglass, and essentially has a wedge shape with a rectangular outline. Only the rectangular floor plan can be seen when viewed from above.
- a second lamp 16 is arranged on an end face of the second waveguide plate 15.
- the second lamp 16 is cylindrical
- Cold cathode lamp is formed and is arranged so that it covers most of the end face of the second waveguide plate 15.
- a reflector 17 On the side of the lamp 16 which faces away from the second waveguide plate 15, there is a reflector 17.
- a first waveguide plate 11 Below the second waveguide plate 15 there is a first waveguide plate 11, of which only a narrow strip can be seen in the top view.
- the first waveguide plate 11 and the second waveguide plate 15 have a very similar one
- FIG. 2 shows a cross section through the lighting unit shown in FIG. 1 along the section line AA ', the same components being provided with the same reference numerals.
- the lighting unit has a first waveguide plate 11, the wedge-shaped one
- the first waveguide plate 11 is provided on the lower surface with a prism film 14, by means of which the coupling out of light from the waveguide plate is achieved. On the face on which the first waveguide plate 11 is provided.
- Waveguide plate 11 has the greatest thickness, a first lamp 12 is attached. From the sectional drawing it can be seen that the first lamp 12 does not consist of a cylindrical body, but of two cylindrical bodies arranged one above the other. The first lamp 12 is enclosed on the side facing away from the first plate 11 by a first reflector 13. There is an absorber layer 19 under the lower surface of the first waveguide plate 11. Above the first waveguide plate 11 there is a second waveguide plate 15, which likewise has an approximately wedge-shaped cross section. On the underside of the second waveguide plate 15 there is a second prism film 18, which is approximately the same as the first prism film 14. Along the thickest end face of the second waveguide plate 15, a lamp 16 is attached, which is designed as an approximately cylindrical cold cathode lamp. The second lamp 16 is surrounded on the sides facing away from the end face of the second waveguide plate 15 by a reflector 17.
- the first waveguide plate and the second waveguide plate are mounted one above the other in such a way that the highest end face of the first waveguide plate 14 comes to lie below the lowest end face of the second waveguide plate 15 - o -
- Light which is emitted by the first lamp 12, runs approximately horizontally in the first waveguide plate 11 and is guided by total reflection.
- the first prism film 14 on the lower surface of the first waveguide plate 11 prevents total reflection and deflects the light so that it is coupled out through the upper surface with the first direction of propagation 31.
- the second waveguide 15, like the first waveguide 11, is made of a transparent material, the first direction of propagation 31 changes only insignificantly when it penetrates the second waveguide 15.
- Light which is coupled into the second waveguide 15 by the second lamp 16 initially also moves in the horizontal direction and is likewise guided by total reflection. Due to the second prism film 18, however, the light emitted by the second lamp 16 is also coupled out through the upper surface of the second waveguide 15 and then propagates with the second direction of propagation 32.
- the first direction of propagation 31 and the second direction of propagation 32 do not point in the same direction.
- the lighting unit shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be used for backlighting a liquid crystal cell, in order thus to form a liquid crystal display. Both an observer in the imaginary extension of the The first direction of propagation 31 and an observer in the imaginary extension of the second direction of propagation 32 can read the display. However, it is also possible and provided that one of the two lamps 16 or 12 is switched off, so that only one of the two observers can read the liquid crystal display.
- the lighting unit according to the invention thus enables a display which can be switched between two viewing angles or allows both viewing angles to be switched on.
- the absorber layer 19 is not intended to be essential to the invention. It is also possible and conceivable to replace the absorber layer 19 with a mirror layer. This even makes it possible to slightly increase the efficiency of the lighting unit. In addition, it is also possible and provided to omit the absorber layer, this having the effect that the lighting unit emits light in a direction in which it is not necessary. It may also be necessary to take into account the fact that this creates disturbing stray light.
- FIG. 3 shows the detail from a waveguide plate 11, a first light beam 50 being emitted, for example, from the lamp and an anti-parallel second light beam 51 being reflected from the opposite end face.
- the first light beam 50 is from the flat edge 52 of the
- Light beam 51 passes through the steep flank 53 of the prism 55.
- the prism angle in order to determine the first direction of propagation 31 and the second direction of propagation 32, since these prism angles have effects as well as the precise configuration of the wedge-shaped cross section of the two waveguide plates.
- the switching function is only realized on part of the display surface by making one of the two waveguide plates smaller or in a different form. For example, it is possible to use a To produce a display which generates an approximately rectangular television screen facing the passenger in one operating mode and which displays a round instrument facing the driver in another display operating mode.
Abstract
Description
Claims
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
DE19709268 | 1997-03-06 | ||
DE19709268A DE19709268C1 (en) | 1997-03-06 | 1997-03-06 | Lighting unit |
PCT/DE1997/002650 WO1998039598A1 (en) | 1997-03-06 | 1997-11-12 | Lighting unit |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0965018A1 true EP0965018A1 (en) | 1999-12-22 |
EP0965018B1 EP0965018B1 (en) | 2001-12-12 |
Family
ID=7822494
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP97949914A Expired - Lifetime EP0965018B1 (en) | 1997-03-06 | 1997-11-12 | Lighting unit |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0965018B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP2001513939A (en) |
DE (2) | DE19709268C1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO1998039598A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (13)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE19858810A1 (en) * | 1998-12-21 | 2000-06-29 | Patent Treuhand Ges Fuer Elektrische Gluehlampen Mbh | Flat lighting device and operating method |
DE10006783A1 (en) * | 2000-02-18 | 2001-09-06 | Bosch Gmbh Robert | Illumination device for transmissively operated flat display screen, has light conductor that is wedge-shaped in cross-section viewed from light coupling surface |
JP4519277B2 (en) * | 2000-06-23 | 2010-08-04 | 東芝モバイルディスプレイ株式会社 | Liquid crystal display |
JP4260512B2 (en) * | 2003-03-10 | 2009-04-30 | 日本ライツ株式会社 | Flat lighting device |
JP4482286B2 (en) * | 2003-03-31 | 2010-06-16 | シャープ株式会社 | Illumination device and display device including the same |
CN1902915B (en) | 2004-01-07 | 2010-05-26 | 皇家飞利浦电子股份有限公司 | Display apparatus |
JP3908241B2 (en) | 2004-06-24 | 2007-04-25 | オリンパス株式会社 | Video display device |
JP2007033633A (en) * | 2005-07-25 | 2007-02-08 | Olympus Corp | Video display device |
JP5291469B2 (en) | 2005-12-21 | 2013-09-18 | コーニンクレッカ フィリップス エレクトロニクス エヌ ヴィ | Backlight structure |
WO2009069427A1 (en) * | 2007-11-28 | 2009-06-04 | Eizo Nanao Corporation | Image display device |
WO2009081674A1 (en) * | 2007-12-25 | 2009-07-02 | Eizo Nanao Corporation | Display apparatus |
JP4780224B2 (en) * | 2009-09-01 | 2011-09-28 | カシオ計算機株式会社 | Display device |
DE102014001222A1 (en) * | 2014-01-29 | 2015-07-30 | Clariant lnternational Ltd | Halogen-free solid flame retardant mixture and its use |
Family Cites Families (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2646637A (en) * | 1950-01-26 | 1953-07-28 | Richard N Nierenberg | Device for trans-illuminating transparencies |
US5303322A (en) * | 1992-03-23 | 1994-04-12 | Nioptics Corporation | Tapered multilayer luminaire devices |
JP3065796B2 (en) * | 1992-06-30 | 2000-07-17 | ローム株式会社 | Light source for flat display panel |
JP3131034B2 (en) * | 1992-07-03 | 2001-01-31 | ローム株式会社 | Light source for flat display panel |
JPH06130383A (en) * | 1992-10-21 | 1994-05-13 | Nippondenso Co Ltd | Display device |
JP3452077B2 (en) * | 1993-11-11 | 2003-09-29 | 株式会社エンプラス | Surface light source device |
FR2720181B1 (en) * | 1994-05-18 | 1996-08-02 | Sorelec | Display and signaling panel. |
-
1997
- 1997-03-06 DE DE19709268A patent/DE19709268C1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1997-11-12 WO PCT/DE1997/002650 patent/WO1998039598A1/en active IP Right Grant
- 1997-11-12 JP JP53803198A patent/JP2001513939A/en active Pending
- 1997-11-12 EP EP97949914A patent/EP0965018B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1997-11-12 DE DE59705821T patent/DE59705821D1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Non-Patent Citations (1)
Title |
---|
See references of WO9839598A1 * |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
DE19709268C1 (en) | 1998-08-20 |
WO1998039598A1 (en) | 1998-09-11 |
JP2001513939A (en) | 2001-09-04 |
EP0965018B1 (en) | 2001-12-12 |
DE59705821D1 (en) | 2002-01-24 |
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